Robert Wyatt, born Robert Ellidge
in Bristol on January 28, 1945, is an English musician, and a former member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine.
As a teenager, he lived with his parents in a fourteen-room Georgian guest-house, Wellington House, in Lydden near Canterbury. Here he was taught the drums by visiting American jazz drummer George Niedorf.
In 1962, Wyatt and Niedorf moved to Majorca where they stayed with the poet Robert Graves. The following year, Wyatt returned to England and joined the Daevid Allen Trio with Daevid Allen and Hugh Hopper. Allen subsequently left for France, and Wyatt and Hopper formed the Wilde Flowers with Richard Sinclair, Kevin Ayers and Brian Hopper. Wyatt was initially the drummer in the Wilde Flowers, but following the departure of Ayers, he became lead singer.
In 1966, the Wilde Flowers disintegrated, and Wyatt and Mike Ratledge formed the Soft Machine with Ayers and Allen. Here Wyatt both drummed and sang, an unusual combination for a stage rock band.
In 1970, after chaotic touring, three albums and increasing internal conflicts in Soft Machine, Wyatt released his first solo album The End of An Ear which combined his vocal and multi-instrumental talents with tape effects.
A year later, Wyatt left Soft Machine and formed his own band Matching Mole (a pun on "machine molle", the French for Soft Machine), a largely instrumental outfit. After two albums and a split, Matching Mole were about to embark on a third record when, on June 1st, 1973, during a drunken party, Wyatt fell from a third floor window. He was subsequently paralysed from the waist down.
The injury led Wyatt to abandon the Matching Mole project, and his drumming. He promptly embarked on a solo-career, and with a collective of session musicians (including the poet Ivor Cutler, Mike Oldfield and Henry Cow guitarist Fred Frith), he released his acclaimed solo-album Rock Bottom. Later that same year he put out a single, a cover version of "I'm a Believer", which hit number 29 in the UK chart. There were strong arguments with the producer of Top of the Pops surrounding his performance of "I'm a Believer," on the grounds that his wheelchair-bound appearance 'was not suitable for Family Viewing', the producer wanting Wyatt to appear on a normal chair. Wyatt won the day and 'lost his rag but not the wheel chair', but gave a performance that could be described as disgruntled.
Wyatt's next album, Ruth is Stranger than Richard, was more jazz-led, with free jazz influences and nods to African music.
Throughout the rest of the 1970s, Wyatt guested with various acts, working with the likes of Henry Cow (documented on their Henry Cow Concerts album), Hatfield & The North and Carla Bley. His solo work during the early 1980s was increasingly politicised, and Wyatt became an outspoken member and supporter of the British Communist Party. In 1983, his interpretation of Elvis Costello's anti-Falklands War song "Shipbuilding", the last in a series of political cover-versions, reached number 35 in the UK singles chart. In the late 1980s, after collaborations with other ex-Canterbury acts such as News from Babel, he and his wife Alfreda Benge spent a sabbatical in Spain, before returning in 1991 with a comeback album Dondestan, considered by many to be his best work since Rock Bottom. His 1997 album Shleep was also highly acclaimed.
In 2001, Wyatt was curator of the Meltdown festival, and in 2003 he put out his latest album Cuckooland.
In 2004, Wyatt colaborated with Bjork on the song Submarine which was released on her fifth album Medlla.
Just so you know, if you post a comment and it is just a huge advertisement for yourself, I delete these things.
I just want comments about Robert or his music there.
Robert Wyatt has signed a new record deal with independent label Domino Recordings, and has started recording the follow up to his 2003 Mercury Music Prize nominated album, "Cuckooland,"
due for release 8 October 2007
Called Comicopera, the 16 track album is available on both CD and double vinyl formats. It was produced by Robert himself, and recorded at his home in Louth as well as Phil Manzanera's Gallery Studio.
This site is being run by a friend of Robert's, and not him personally.
This is not a good way to reach him.
That being said, here is some info.
Robert Wyatt was a founding member of the Soft Machine, who along with Pink Floyd Helped to transform the late sixties psychedelic scene in the UK into something more lasting. Through successive albums, Soft Machine soon moved toward a more jazz-based fusion with rock music, punctuated by Wyatt's distinctive drumming and vocals, attracting a massive following across Europe. After extensive touring, Wyatt left intending to pursue a solo career, but instead assembled Matching Mole who released two critically acclaimed LP's before disbanding prematurely.
In 1973, Wyatt fell from a third floor window during a party, leaving him paralysed from the waist downwards. From that day onwards he has concentrated his efforts into solo recordings, mixing simple and effective keyboard melody lines with poignant lyrics, often filled with personal and political references. The results have proved both haunting and reflective, even producing two chart hits - his 1974 re-working of 'I'm a Believer', and the 1983 Falklands War indictment 'Shipbuilding' written especially for him by Elvis Costello.
Through masterpieces of rock, such as 'Matching Mole', 'Rock Bottom' and many acclaimed albums, Wyatt is still musically very active, and has been collaborating with many musicians, old as new. September 1997 sees the release of the long awaited new album, titled 'Shleep'. Produced by Wyatt himself, with the participation of old and new friends such as Brian Eno, Paul Weller, Evan Parker, Phil Manzanera and others, Wyatt, yet again, brings his musical career to new and overwhelming peaks.
Most of this bio was borrowed from the good folks at strongcomet http://www.strongcomet.com/wyatt/
Xello Robert, thanx 4 d..add. When you..ve got some time please have a look at animation-videos: myspace or on: www.sandmann.at (Trickfilme) Greetings from da Vienna Emilio Sandmann
My now-dead manager was kind enough to play Ruth and Rock Bottom and Rottenhat before he moved on. It has been with me like dear friend ever since - in ecstatic and dreadful times. The music is so sweetly powerful it scares me, because in the wrong hands I'm sure it could be used to manipulate many many people. But its in the right hands.
Hi Robert, Thanks for adding me. Lovely site you have. I first became aware of Soft Machine in late 60’s when I discovered the first record, the one with the psychedelic cover (the kind of thing which first catch’s a young mans fancy). I was living in Georgia in the south at that time. Recently I went back and rediscovered all the old material at which time I also found both Greatest Hits and Misses and CuckooLand in a Boise Barnes and Nobles. Brilliant stuff and such profoundly poignant lyrics. Very beautiful, soulful music that carry’s one forward as through a sweet dream. I can’t believe I waited so long to discover you, much to my chagrin and regret. But I’m now making up for lost time and plan on keeping up. Have a joyous and successful 2008. William Sykes
